Verve, 1964
Trio ’64, Bill Evans’ first trio album for Verve, marked a reunion with drummer Paul Motian and Evans’ only recorded work with bassist Gary Peacock. The album sits alongside Evans’ finest trio sessions, with his shimmering piano lines dancing between Peacock’s full-bodied bass lines and Motian’s typically sublime work on the drums. Peacock was a perfect match for Evans and a kindred spirit not content simply to follow the musical trends of the day, as evidenced by his time spent with the likes of Albert Ayler and Paul Bley. Here, he adds a little unpredictability to a smoothly sophisticated date.